Using The Real-Life Case Method To Teach CBT to People In Reentry Groups About The Topic of Past Gang Involvement

Counselor: Let us start by talking about your life before you were incarcerated. Can you walk me through a typical day when you were on the outside?"

Person In The Reentry Group: "Sure. I was in a gang, so my days were pretty chaotic. I would wake up late, hang out with my crew, sell drugs, sometimes use them, and just look for ways to make quick cash. It was always about surviving and making a name for myself."

Counselor: "Thanks for sharing that. Now, think about those days. Can you tell me about a time when you felt the most frustrated, angry, irritated, or even depressed or anxious?"

Person In The Reentry Group: "There was this one time when a rival gang disrespected us. They tagged over our graffiti, and I was furious. I ended up getting into a fight and then went on a binge using drugs to calm down. It made me anxious and depressed afterward."

Counselor: "Alright, so you described what happened. The rival gang tagged over your graffiti, and you reacted by fighting and using drugs. How did your frustration and anger contribute to what you did?"

Person In The Reentry Group: "My anger made me lose control. I felt like I had to prove something and defend our territory, and using drugs was my way of coping with the stress, anger, and anxiety."

Counselor: "I understand. Let us try to identify what was going through your mind before all this started. What were you thinking just before you saw the graffiti?"

Person In The Reentry Group: "I was thinking about how important it was to keep our rep and how any sign of weakness could make us targets. It was all about respect and power."

Counselor: "It sounds like your thoughts about needing to maintain respect and power played a big role in how you reacted. This is a key part of CBT – recognizing how our thoughts influence our feelings and behaviors. Let us break it down:

1. Situation: You saw the rival gang's graffiti over yours.

2. Thoughts: 'We can't look weak; we have to defend our rep.'

3. Feelings: Anger, frustration, anxiety.

4. Behavior: Fighting and using drugs.

By identifying these components, we can start to see the connections between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Next time, if you find yourself in a similar situation, try to pause and challenge the thought that you have to react aggressively to maintain respect. Ask yourself if there are other ways to manage the situation."

Person In The Reentry Group: "So, like maybe it wasn’t worth getting into a fight over? Or that there are better ways to cope with my anger than using drugs?"

Counselor: "Exactly. By considering alternative ways to manage disrespect and cope with anger, frustration, and anxiety, you might avoid risky and harmful behaviors. This is the essence of CBT – changing our thoughts to change our feelings and behaviors. How do you feel about trying this out?"

Person In The Reentry Group: "I guess it makes sense. I never really thought about it that way before."

Counselor: "Great! Let us practice this process with other situations you encountered in the past and see how it can help in managing your reactions in the future. Remember, it takes time, but with practice, it can make a big difference."

Summary: This real-life case example demonstrates how starting with past experiences and specific incidents can help people better understand and identify the emotions and thoughts connected to these everyday behaviors. It is easier for people in reentry groups to learn about their thoughts and beliefs when you start with their everyday behavior and to learn how to better manage their emotions. As the person stated, “You can’t look weak, and we have to defend our reputation.”